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Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 22:47:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Rambam Ishus

Heshey Riesel asks about Rambam Wives 21:10 ("A woman who refuses to do
work she is obligated to do for her husband may be forced even with a rod")

The reference of course is NOT to the husband using the rod but rather to
the courts using the rod (Courts enforced their decisions with "rods"--cf
end of Theft 8---rods were used to enforce market prices that were set for
the community).

In passing EVERY women has the right to

- ---Keep all her possessions, give none to her husband but support herself
(food, clothing) OR

- ---do light work for her husband and have her husband provide food clothing
etc.

The Talmuds wording is that "A women economically goes up with her husband
never down."

I believe this satisfactorally resolves this issue

Russell Hendel; ModeratoR Rashi Is Simple;
http://www.shamash.org/rashi/

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